ABRI threatens antigovernment activists
JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung warned yesterday antigovernment groups against attempting to disturb the general session of the People's Consultative Assembly next March.
He said the military had also taken some proactive measures to anticipate and detect any such attempt. Speaking to reporters after meeting with President Soeharto at Merdeka Palace, Feisal said ABRI would enforce the laws on any antigovernment movement.
"We hope those people will act constitutionally, if they believe they are constitutional then the law will judge whether they have violated the Constitution," the general said.
Soeharto told ABRI at the commemoration of its 52nd anniversary Sunday that the Armed Forces were obliged to guarantee that the assembly proceed smoothly and safely.
The Assembly is expected to elect a president, vice president and endorse the State Policy Guidelines for the 1998/2003 period when it convenes in March.
During yesterday's press conference, Feisal spoke about several groups alleged to have attempted to undermine the government. One of the groups was the "Tenth Division", which includes admirers of the late president Sukarno who conduct illegal military exercises in East Java.
"They may face criminal charges or even subversion charges," Feisal said of the 60 people, including three ABRI deserters, arrested in Malang. The group was said to be influenced by Arief Kusno Saputro who claimed to be the reincarnation of Sukarno.
The group provided military training for members to prepare them to "safeguard Sukarno and secure the general assembly of the People's Consultative Assembly" next March.
"They wanted to set up their own Armed Forces, they made their own ranks from captain to general and had their own uniforms and their own military training," Feisal said.
Wahab identified the deserters as Lt. Col. Kunandar of the Artillery Training Center in Cimahi, West Java; Sgt. Maj. Suripto, a logistic staff official of the Army Strategic Reserves Command's (Kostrad) second division; and First Sgt. Ekpriadi of the Navy Headquarter's Data Center.
Feisal also spoke of a group of 21 people arrested in Bekasi recently for allegedly attempting to set up a separate Islamic state.
City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata said recently the suspects had declared an Islamic state in place of the Republic of Indonesia.
Feisal accompanied yesterday his counterpart from Guinea- Bissau Brig. Gen. Ansamane Mane to pay a courtesy call on the President.
"Mane told me that he will brief his government about the real situation in East Timor," Feisal said.
Guinea-Bissau is a small country with a population of one million on Africa's West Coast. It was formerly Portuguese Guinea until it won its independence from Portugal in 1974.
During their talks, Feisal offered to train officers of Guinea's 2,000-strong military.
"They can invite some of their officers to get training here," he added.
Tension
Separately, Moslem scholar Abdurrahman Wahid warned the community yesterday about rising political tension as the country approaches the general assembly.
The chairman of the 30 million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama also noted possible political conspiracies, especially in connection with the vice presidential election.
"There will be certain pressure groups waging a campaign for their own vice presidential candidates," he said at his office.
But he said the alleged conspiracies could backlash and provoke people's anger.
Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, also warned of possible rioting and increasing violence.
"I'm not sure that the people's violent actions in the riots in the past were spontaneous. I believe they were provoked," he said.
At the same time, Abdurrahman called on members of the House of Representatives to "rehabilitate" their public image.
Whether this effort could succeed, however, will depend on the quality of the new members, he said.
He also noted people's growing apathy of the political situation.
"People are now less interested in state political affairs," he said. (prb/imn)